Edwards Air Force Base Airshow

These pictures were taken October 9, 1999, at Edwards Air Force
Base in the desert of Southern California. My brother emailed me
that week, asking if I happened to want to go on a 1000-mile roadtrip
out to Edwards to see their yearly airshow. Driving and planes?
I couldn't resist... even if it meant getting up way before dawn...

(Click on an image to see a larger version. Click on the "++" link
to see a huge full-size version.)

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The road into Edwards Air Force Base. There isn't much around,
except the town of Mojave...

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Inside the hangar, a front view of the SR71 blackbird. Its shape
is so unusual, it's hard to describe what it feels like to stand
next to it...

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A side view of the SR71. Here you can see the double cockpit.
This plane is a training version.

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The B1 bomber. Huge planes like this provided both scenery and
shade for hundreds of people.

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The f117a stealth fighter. Notice how you can see the shape
of the plane by its shadow on the ground.

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The f22, America's next-generation fighter, still in the debugging
stage.

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A walk-through helicopter. It was amazing how close and personal we could
get with the aircraft and the pilots. There was just such a wonderful feeling
of patriotism and community, not normally witnessed in my daily life.